What is A Garden Hose Reel Cart?

When it comes to gardening, keeping all the gardening tools organized, clean, and always ready for the next use is essential.
Having an organized garden, with proper storage space for the equipment that we most frequently use was a very good approach. This had a great impact on time efficiency on one side, and on the other side, is the perfect way to keep our tools safely stored, and increase their lifespan.
Among these tools, water hoses can become difficult to manage around the garden and can suffer damage if you leave them uncoiled after use. 
One of the easiest solutions in such cases is to use a hose reel.

A hose reel is a spinning system that includes a cylindrical axle made of plastic, metal, or other mixture of materials such as fiberglass, used to wound or coil garden water hoses. The hose reel can be hand crank driven, electrically driven with a push of the winding/unwinding button, or self-retracting. 
A garden hose reel cart is a groundwork portable cart with a preinstalled hose reel that is hand-crank driven. Its functionality is similar to a hose reel, but it has at least one set of wheels to ensure smooth transportation for the water hoses in the garden. 

Water hose reel carts are available in different types depending on:

1. The material they are made of
2. The diameter and length of the hose they can hold
3.  The additional storage features, such as having a leader hose included by the manufacturer in the package.

A common additional feature of a hose reel cart is a metal basket, that can be used as storage space for additional gardening tools.
Another important feature, especially for the heavy-duty water hose reel carts, is the pneumatic tires they are equipped with. This ensures durability, good sustainably of the entire cart, and safe usage on all types of terrains like gardens, backyards lawns, and rocky sidewalks.
And finally, most brands will include in the hose reel cart package the leader water hose which is a shorter hose that connects to the cart exterior water connector on one side, and to the outdoor spigot on the other side. Manufacturers normally include one or 2 sets of hose connectors in the hose cart package.

How to Use a Hose Reel Cart

When you first purchase a garden hose reel cart, the first step is to check if any assembly is needed or if the hose is fully assembled. If minor or full assembly is needed, follow the instruction steps provided by the manufacturer in the hose cart package.

Once you are done with the hose cart assembly, the next step is to attach your garden hoses to the hose cart. 
Normally a hose reel cart should have two pairs of hose connectors included in the package.
This happens because you need to have a leader hose and the long standard garden hose. The leader hose is a shorter hose, that connects the hose reel to the water supply. The long garden hose will be rolled onto the hose reel and used for watering, going forward. 
One set of connectors is used for the two ends of the leader hose. You use this set with the leader hose, to attach it on one end to the outdoor spigot, and on the other end to the hose reel exterior water connector.
The second set of connectors is attached to both ends of the large garden hose. This is necessary in order to connect the garden hose on one end to the hose reel interior water connector, and on the other end to the hose sprayer.

To install a hose on a garden hose reel cart, you must proceed with the below actions.

1. Create a leader hose as explained previously.
   If you don’t have a leader hose already included in the hose reel package, you can quickly create one from your garden hose. Use a cutter or scissors to cut around 5 feet in length out from your garden hose. This newly created hose is called a leader hose.
2. Attach the connectors on both ends of the leader hose and on the ends of the garden hose
3. Attach one end of the leader hose to the exterior water coupling connection of the hose reel
4. Attach the large garden hose to the interior water coupling connection of the hose reel
5. Start winding the large garden hose by spinning the hose reel navigator or hand crank
6. Roll the entire length of hose on the reel carefully, in layers, one layer on top of the other
7. Attach a hose nozzle sprayer to the other end of the garden hose 
8. Walk the hose to the desired destination, near your outdoor water faucet 
9. Connect the leader hose to the outdoor faucet
10. Turn on the water supply
11. Pick up the hose sprayer and turn it on to check if water flows properly and if there is any water leaking. In case this happens, check if the connectors are properly installed.

8 Key Benefits of Using a Water Hose Reel Cart

1. Improved garden aesthetics

Having your large gardening hose coiled on a hose reel cart does not only help with hose storage and hose maneuvering. This also improves the aesthetic of your garden, as you won’t see any tangled hoses lying on the ground everywhere. Your garden will look clean and well organized.

2. Portability

A hose reel cart can be easily carried around as it has at least one set of wheels. This is how you can easily handle the transportation of large hoses, even if your physical strength is not as high.

3. Functionality

When having a hose reel cart, you can use a single hose for the entire garden, no matter how big the surface is. You can move the hose cart to different sections of the garden and connect the water hose to different outdoor spigots.

4. Additional storage accessories

Hose carts usually come equipped with different storage accessories that you can use for keeping other gardening tools. For example, a steel basket that can be installed on the cart, near or under the hose reel. 

5. They are sturdy, built to last

Depending on the material type and quality, the hose carts can last through years of usage. The metal hose carts are usually made from premium steel, with an anti-rust finish that extends considerably the hose cart lifespan. 

6. Can be used on all types of terrains

No matter if you use them on rocky ground, cement, or another type of rough or uneven surface, most cart models available out there are built to resist the damage caused by the surface they roll on. 

7. Easy overall storage

It is easier to keep your hose coiled, untangled, and clean if you are using a hose reel. And if you choose a hose reel cart you can easily store it outdoors between uses, or indoors, during the cold season.

8. Increased hose life expectancy

By using a hose reel cart you will keep your hose correctly coiled on a reel, without any tangling, away from the ground dirt, and safe from being walked over by different other garden machinery. This will increase the garden hose lifespan and maintain its functionality intact for years.

Conclusion

Hose reel carts are a must-have tool for any home gardener. It helps a lot in maneuvering and storing the garden hose correctly.
In this post, we explained what a garden hose reel cart is, how to install it properly and what are the main advantages of using a hose cart.